Young people are looking for avenues for recreation and different perspectives during this crisis. Some are realizing dreams, while others are succumbing to depression. “This too shall pass” is a adage to recall, even as we come out of one computer graph swing and go onto the next in health, economics, and education.
Is it possible to think of this time as a gift: the SLO MO of it all, as a type of creative opening?
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:2-4 MSG).
Certainly “tests and challenges” are coming from all sides. Yet can we possibly “consider it a gift” as James suggests? “Your faith-filled life is forced out into the open and shows its true colors”? Journeying with Jesus, we’ll look and act like His children, not like those caught up in the culture. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the enemy and he’ll flee. . . Come near to God, and he will come near to you,” James 4:7-8 NIV. The purpose is for us to be “mature and well-developed,” sufficient and joyful.
7 ACTIVITIES YOUTH CAN ENJOY NOW:
- TRAINING not TRYING. Trying hard is not enough, especially in adversity. (I Tim. 4:7.)* We need to train–to be in training with Jesus. Make it a habit to be more prayerful, more kind, more considerate with words. Take a class at church, join a small group, or ask friends to pray for and with you. Study Bible verses. Read Christian books and the classics. Free courses are offered online. My husband and I are taking Hillsdale College’s “Great Books,” including the work of great classic poets and St. Augustine.
- QUIET. Take time to reflect on feelings and look at emotions from different angles.
It may help to journal, counsel, read, be still. Have empathy for your own and others’ highs and lows—consolation (God’s presence and blessing) and desolation (God’s absence and spiritual dryness)*: Romans 12: 15-16. - JOIN WITH NATURE. Finding new walks and hikes can be adventurous and satisfying—try parks, trails, beaches– possibly go with someone you care about and open up to them. One can grow or cultivate a garden. “Enjoy God’s garden,” says a plant stick my mother Faith gave me, which causes me to pause and realize the surrounding beauty. “The earth is full of the goodness of God” Psalm 33:5b. Kicking the soccer ball around on an open field or playing golf is good exercise and recreation.
- CREATIVE SELF-CARE. Many nail operators will come to your home patio allowing you and your family “pod” to get your nails done outside in the fresh air. Some hair stylists also work with individual or group clients off-site. Giving yourself and friends a masque— hydrating or exfoliating– rejuvenates the skin and relaxes facial muscles. Cultivate a new hobby, such as digital photography, individualizing stationery, rescuing a pet, or learning a new language.
- INCLUDE ANOTHER GENERATION. Listening to the stories from someone of another generation in your family or friends can be very compelling, and maybe this will be one of the only times you have the liberty to meet for a lengthy amount of time. Trying one of the ancestry research apps and printing out one’s family tree together may bring joy for today and tomorrow when you’re looking to share it with growing family members.
- WATER SPORTS/RIVER RAFT-STUDY ABROAD. Fishing off of a public dock is fun and easy, as is swimming in a river or a pool. Rent a boat or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) to explore the lake, harbor, or sea. Enjoy the sun’s natural, mood-boosting and healthy Vitamin D, as well as the refreshing feeling of water on the skin. ?Costa Rica offers three types of study abroad programs: A rafting trip in Outward Bound Costa Rica takes to the white water but only after the visiting students and instructors quarantine for 14 days. Another month-long study program offered at a 150-acre campus at Monteverde, Costa Rica, is offered by CIEE, a nonprofit study abroad group located in Portland, Maine. In addition, Amigos International teaches community-building and leadership skills in a hybrid model where students quarantine with a pod of peers in a dorm-style lodge on a nature preserve in the mountains of Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica.**
- SHARE THIS BLOG WITH A FRIEND. Sign up for the email to receive more blogs and a newsletter. If this helped you, share your journey with us.
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*Gaultiere, Bill. “Growing Spiritually Through Adversity.” Talk for Mariners Church Leaders,
1/31/21, based on Gaultiere, Bill & Kristi, Journey of the Soul: A Practical Guide to
Emotional and Spiritual Growth. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Revell, 2021.
**Bulseco, Donna. “AP Bio in a Rainforest?” Wall Street Journal, p. D8, January 30-31, 2021.